Buff and Blubber

Movement today was really enjoyable, we looked at rhythm by moving through two lines of bouncing balls, dance, putting an action to music, playing with and against the beat then pasting these together to create a montage of movement, a good exercise that i will surely be using with future students.
Oh and we didn't sweat too much, maybe lauridanna will kill us tomorrow.

Neutral Mask
What did we do today?
Erm... well we got back into the lake, to see what the rhythm of water could inspire in us.
For most it was the rhythm of the drains backed up with sewage rather than a crisp clear lake. I enjoyed playing in the sewage, but Monsieur Gaulier said I talk too much, Katie however was stunning. Philippe was right when he called her beautiful I didn't have my glasses on but I could have sworn she was weeping, she wasn't but she opened the box of my imagination and i saw her tears, oh the power of the actor.

After the exercise Sam makes a comment: 'Phileyepe (she's Australain, I get that Katie was beautiful, i mean , i couldn't take my eyes off her but you couldn't do a whole show like that, i mean Hamlet would last about 5 days if we spoke like that.'
Philippe's response: Non, the neutral mask is not for performance, it is for the actor in training. For the actor to discover his beauty, and she was beautiful non? It is smooth it has no character, but once the actor has discovered his beauty everything else can sit on top of it.

I've paraphrased Monsieur Gaulier's words but the gist is there.

And what did I take from this lesson, that beauty is not skin deep,beauty is when we show our true self on stage those naked parts of our true self, when we are open and vulnerable and our soul envelops us and helps the audience to dream around us, it can't be willed it can't be faked, if you are lucky and ready it will pour out of you and on the audiences imaginary forces work.

Is the task then to get lost in the movement and not steer the words, rather to let the impulse of the movement lead the words, instead of allowing the head to lead? I'm sure I know the answer to theis but how to find that. Deep breathing? Yoga? Chance? Hope? I don't know just

I want to discover how I'm beautiful.
Don't you?
We also mimed/ played with the rhythm of the stream. Philippe explained that the stream was the rhythm of youth, that it had something of the explosion of fire about it that the rhythm of the river was the rhythm of an old man. I'm blown away by his insights, and its such a joy to be in his presence, he is constantly beautiful and the twinkle in his eye seems to get brighter everyday.

Clown

Steve was really good today, he is looking more and more comfortable up there and today I really liked watching him, he is definitely his child soul you can see what he looked like when he was 7.

We did an exercise to help us connect with the audience, Philippe commented that Claude and I had a good relationship together, which is good as I have an idea for a number that I'd like to try out but I need some more ideas and I'm not sure if its a solo or a duo and i think could Claude and I could do it well.
Philippe said that I should stick with my costume, he doesn't know what it is but that I seem to be having more fun in it. It could just be that I had my glasses on and I could see the audience for once but yes I do like my new costume, which incidentally is a lifeguard.
Philippe doesn't see it but I do and it inspires me more than Obelix.
And today I learned that in the clown world the opposite of Obelix is a toff, either a tennis toff or a Golf toff.
After class said that Claude and I were a bit like Laurel and Hardy, I guess he means physically, Claude is buff and I'm blubber, I'm bearded him clean shaven and we have contrasting personalities it'll be good to see what if we can come up with anything.
But the big question is...what will I learn tomorrow?